How To Forecast Material Demand To Limit Production Setbacks
Maintaining a product portfolio of over 200 advanced analytical instruments for a global manufacturer is no simple task; employees need guidance, standards need to be met, and perhaps most importantly, production needs to stay consistent. With thousands of moving parts going on behind the scenes, it’s easy to assume that tasks like forecasting material shortages and ordering additional resources for production, for example, are handled with the help of automation. However, that is not the case at the Petroleum Analyzer Company’s (PAC) Houston, Texas facility.
Functioning as the facility’s MRO Buyer, Rhonda Johnstone is responsible for placing intercompany purchase orders that support PAC’s manufacturing efforts. Nearly all of PAC’s manufacturing materials are supplied by one of the company’s many sister-sites—which span across twelve countries. Given the company’s global reach, procuring materials to support individual value streams requires more than just a push of a button; the company needs to plan out orders weeks—sometimes even months—in advance to avoid production setbacks. Finessing such a delicate dance begs for a thorough and well-thought inventory management system that’s concise and void of complication.